Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Next week, the Cheltenham festival will start and we will have wall-to-wall coverage. Advertising by gambling companies will seek to have people place bets with them. Approximately €5 billion is gambled every year in Ireland and there are approximately 40,000 problem gamblers.

The Rutland Centre has indicated that it has seen a large rise in the number of people seeking treatment for gambling addiction. There has been a major growth in gaming and gambling apps on the Internet. This area has expanded to young people and women, in other words, beyond the traditional demographic.

When will we see the gambling control Bill proceed? The heads were first published. The purpose is to regulate these companies and the advertising that preys on people.

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